Ladder latching device

ABSTRACT

A latching device for releasably securing a ladder to a vehicle having racks secured thereon, the latching device being mounted on the side rails of the ladder on the lower side thereof and consisting of a rotatable shaft secured to the side rails, with a handle mounted on the end of the shaft and a hook member secured to the side rail for securing the handle in the locked position. At the middle of the shaft there is secured an arm portion at whose free end one end of an adjustable hooking member is pivotally attached with the other end engaging the rack for locking the ladder thereto.

United States Patent Laing, Jr.

[ 51 June 27,1972

' [54] LADDER LATCHING DEVICE [21] Appl.-No.: 114,501

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,853,119 9/1958 Balfour...3,105,667 10/1963 Bauer ..248/361 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS800,941 12/1950 Germany ..248/361 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. ForlenzaAttorneySalvatore G. Militana [5 7] ABSTRACT A latching device forreleasably securing a ladder to a vehicle having racks secured thereon,the latching device being mounted on the side rails of the ladder on thelower side thereof and consisting of a rotatable shaft secured to theside rails, with a handle mounted on the end of the shaft and a hookmember secured to the side rail for securing the handle in the lockedposition. At the middle of the shaft there is secured an arm portion atwhose free end one end of an adjustable hooking member is pivotallyattached with the other end engaging the rack for locking the ladderthereto.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH Y m2 INVENTOR CLYDE A. LAlNG. Jr

ATTORNEY LADDER LATCHING DEVICE This invention relates to apparatus fordetachably securing a ladder on a vehicle, but is more particularlydirected to a latching device mounted on a ladder for readily clampingon and releasing the ladder from a rack secured to the vehicle.

With automobiles normally travelling at high speeds and making quickstops to avoid accidents, the carrying of ladders on the automotivevehicle is a constant source of danger when not secured properly orwhere the manner of securing the ladder to the roof of the automobile isimprovised as by tying with a cord or wire.

The present invention contemplates the prevention of any possibility ofany danger arising out of the securing of the ladder to an automotivevehicle as well as rendering it easy and simple to place a ladder on thevehicle and locking it securely in place as well as readily removing theladder from the automotive vehicle.

Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to providea latching device for detachably securing a ladder in position on anautomotive vehicle, which device is simple in construction and operationand which insures against any accidental displacement or movement of theladder on the vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a latching devicefor releasably securing a ladder on the roof or sides of a vehiclewherein the device is mounted on the lower side of the ladder when inuse so as not to interfere with the user of the ladder and which isquickly and readily operated to look a ladder in position and to unlockthe ladder for removing same from the vehicle.

A further object-of the present invention is to provide a latchingdevice for releasably securing a ladder onto a roof of a vehicle, whichdevice may be secured to any conventional ladder utilizing one suchlatching device for a short ladder and two, one at each end, for longladders.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification, with the understanding, however, that the invention isnot confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawingbut may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modificationsmark no material departure from the salient features of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automotive vehicle on which my ladderhaving my latching devices are mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a similar fragmentary view which is enlarged showing in detailthe structure of my latching device.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 withthe dotted line position showing the device as in its unlocked position.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to designatesimilar parts throughout the several views, the numeral refers to a pairof ladder latching devices mounted on a conventional extension ladder 11which is locked in place on an automotive vehicle 12. The ladder l1rests on a pair of conventional automotive load racks 13 each of whichconsists of an elongated member 14 extending across and above the roof17 of the automobile 12 with the curved ends secured to the drip stripof the automobile roof 17.

The ladder 11 which may be an extension ladder or a conventional singleladder as shown consisting of a pair of side rails 18 with rungs 19extending therebetween. My ladder latching devices 10 are mounted on theladder on the side nearest the wall upon which the ladder ll rests sothat the user of the ladder does not come into contact with the latchingdevices 10 when climbing up or down the ladder.

My device 10 consists of a rotatable pipe or hollow shaft 20 extendingacross the ladder 11 and having its end portions journalled to rotatewithin clamps 21 fastened by screw bolts 22 on to the side railing 18.At the midportion of the shaft 20 there is a short member or arm portion23 welded thereto and at whose free end is pivoted as by a pivot bolt24, a hook support member consisting of an elongated body portion 25having a foot portion 26 extending at right angle. Mounted on the footportion 26 is an L-shaped hook member 30 whose shank portion 32 isthreaded and received through a bore formed on the foot portion 26 withnuts 31threaded on the shank portion 32 and engaging both sides of thefoot. portion 26. The hook portion 30 of each of my locking devices 10is adapted to swing under and engage the bar 14 of the load rack 13when. the locking devices 10 are in locked position. Ahandle 33 issecured to one end of the shaft 20 extending along the side of theladder 11. A hook member 34 secured to the side railing 18 is engaged bythe end portion of the handle 33 when. the latter is in its lockedposition to maintain thelocking device 10 in the locked position untilit is desired to release the ladder l1 and remove it from the rack 13.

In the normal use of my ladder latching devices 10 after having beenmounted on the lower side of a ladder 11 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 atthe same distance apart on the ladder 11 as is the racks 13, the ladder11 is placed on the racks 13 with the locking devices 10in proximity ofthe racks 13 and the handles 33 extending in the dotted line positionas, shown in FIG. 3. The hook members 30 will be positioned beneath therack bars 14 in the dotted line position. The handle 33 is then swungdownwardly, rotating the shaft 20 and swinging the arm 23, the hooksupport member 25 and hook 30 upwardly to cause the hook 30 to engagetherack bar 14. The handle 33 will find itself in proximity of the hookmember. 34 whereby the handle 33 is flexed slightly outwardly anddownwardly to pass below the tip portion of the hook 34 and uponreleasing the handle 33, the book 34 will engage handle 33 and maintainthe latching device 10in a locked position.

To release the locking device 10, all that need be done. is force thehandle 33 downwardly until it left the confines of the hook member 34,flex the handle 33 slightly outwardly away from the tip of the hookmember 34 and then swing the handle 33 upwardly to rotate the shaft 20in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3. The members 23, 25and 32 will swing downwardly to lower the hook member 30 to the dottedline position to become disengaged from the rack bar 14. The ladder 11can now be removed from the racks l3 and use in the customary manner.Since the locking devices 10 are mounted on the underside of the ladder11 when leaning against a building, etc. there is no unconvenience orinter ference to the user of the ladder by their presence thereon.

As illustrated by FIG. I extensible or long ladders require at least twoof my latching device 10 to secure the ladder properly on the roof 17 ofthe automotive vehicle 12. However, short ladders, such as step ladders,etc., obviously can be locked in position by the use of only one suchlatching device 10.

Although my latching device 10 is shown and described in connection withsecuring a single ladder 11 to the roof of panel truck 12, my latchingdevice 10 may be used to secure a stack of ladders 11 placed ohe uponthe other with the hook 30 of the latching device 10 of the upper ladderengaging the rung of a lower ladder. In this manner a large number ofladders may be handled and transported with case.

Also, if desired, the ladders 11 may be carried on other parts of thetruck 12 by mounting the racks 13 on the side panels of a truck or onany other part of a truck on which racks may be mounted.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A latchingdevice for releasably securing a ladder to a vehicle having racksmounted thereon and said ladder having a pair of side rails mounted inspaced relationwith a plurality of rungs extending therebetween,comprising a shaft, means rotatably securing said shaft at said siderails, handle means secured to one end of said shaft adjacent one ofsaid side rails, an arm portion secured at one end to said shaftintermediate the ends of said shaft, hook means pivotally secured at onearm portion, said hook means having a foot portion at the other endextending at right angle thereto, said foot portion having a bore, saidhook member having a threaded shank portion extending through said boreand a plurality of nuts threaded on said shank portion and bearingagainst said foot portion.

1. A latching device for releasably securing a ladder to a vehiclehaving racks mounted thereon and said ladder having a pair of side railsmounted in spaced relation with a plurality of rungs extendingtherebetween, comprising a shaft, means rotatably securing said shaft atsaid side rails, handle means secured to one end of said shaft adjacentone of said side rails, an arm portion secured at one end to said shaftintermediate the ends of said shaft, hook means pivotally secured at oneend to the free end of said arm portion and a hook member mounted at theother end for engaging said rack and a locking member secured to saidone of said side rails for securing said handle in a locked position. 2.The structure as recited by claim 1 wherein said hook means comprises anelongated member, a pivot pin securing one end of said elongated memberand said free end of said arm portion, said hook means having a footportion at the other end extending at right angle thereto, said footportion having a bore, said hook member having a threaded shank portionextending through said bore and a plurality of nuts threaded on saidshank portion and bearing against said foot portion.